The Washington Waddle That's Impossible to Tackle

ENLARGE

Washington running back Alfred Morris ran for 200 yards in a 28-18 win over Dallas on Dec. 30.
Associated Press

By

Kevin Clark

Jan. 2, 2013 6:46 p.m. ET

The Washington Redskins head into Sunday's wild-card playoff game against Seattle riding a seven-game winning streak that has been propelled by a pair of superstar rookies. Much of the attention has justifiably been given to star quarterback Robert Griffin III, who has used his supernatural athleticism to dominate the league. Meanwhile, his teammate and fellow rookie, running back Alfred Morris, has quietly thrived on something a little different, according to teammates and opponents: a waddle.

In a league that looks for running backs with perfect strides and Olympic speed, Morris, a sixth-round draft pick, is a bit of an outlier. His 4.67-second time in the 40-yard dash is notably slow for his position—19 rookies this year ran faster at last year's scouting combine. And then there's his stride.

"If you ever see him run, it's like, side to side, he's off-rhythm. I don't even know how to explain it," said Redskins linebacker Lorenzo Alexander. "I think it's hard just to get on him."

In fact, Morris's stride might be among the ugliest in the world of high-profile running backs. "He does run kind of funny," Redskins tackle Trent Williams said with a chuckle. "But I guess no two people run the same."

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Redskins center
Will Montgomery
said the scouting report on Morris is that he runs so low to the ground, "you bounce right off him."

Morris has used his unrefined running motion to break more tackles than any other player in the NFL this season, 22. That's seven more than the next-highest tackle-breaker. He ranks third in yards after contact with 795 and ranks second in the league with 1,613 rushing yards.

Teammates and opponents say the Redskins' rushing offense is nearly impossible to stop in its most pure form. Here's how it works: Griffin, usually lined up in the "pistol" formation a few feet behind the center, takes the snap. From there, he can pass, run the ball himself or hand off to Morris.

"I never know where the ball is going. I just smile and let them call the play," said fullback Darrel Young.

Montgomery admits linemen are simply told to run to a spot on the field and block near that spot, since the handoff combination in the backfield is so unpredictable. From there, defenses are stuck.

Montgomery said Griffin's quick hands keep linebackers in a holding pattern, which then gives Morris the opportunity to blow past them. Many times, teammates say, Morris will receive the handoff and only have one or two tacklers standing in his way. If he breaks those—and he often does—he's set for a long gain.

This makes Morris's ability to escape tackles even more valuable. Of the 12 teams that qualified for the NFL playoffs, eight have a player in the top 11 in "missed tackles" according to Pro Football Focus. The top three missed tackle leaders among running backs are on playoff teams—Minnesota's Adrian Peterson, Seattle's Marshawn Lynch and Morris.

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